


Meeting the Parents - the Vashoth version

by Bipolar_Armitage_Hux



Series: The Lost Age [6]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Adaar's Family - Freeform, Autistic Dorian, Autistic Original Character, Emetophobia, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Meeting the Parents, Multi, Original Character(s), PTSD Iron Bull, PTSD Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-31
Updated: 2016-07-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 11:53:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,975
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7639156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bipolar_Armitage_Hux/pseuds/Bipolar_Armitage_Hux
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaeto brings Iron Bull and Dorian to meet his family in Ostwick, whilst his twin Ataashi is with her girlfriends - Sera and Dagna - on a roadtrip to the Free Marches they get a chance to introduce them separately. No one is sure how they feel about this, Dorian hasn't ever been taken home to meet the parents and neither has Iron Bull so their both a little worried about how it's going to go.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Meeting the Parents - the Vashoth version

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after A Lesson in Humility, mostly just a bit of fun and fluff to lighten the mood of this series. I think these guys deserve it.

Kaeto, Dorian, Iron Bull made their way across Ostwick in their rented Jeep. There had been an argument as to how they were going to get to Antiva - Iron Bull really wanted to take his own car but Dorian really did not want to go on a ferry. Kaeto thought it would be cool to drive there via a ferry... Iron Bull - understanding that he would do most of the driving and that Kaeto came up with these ideas forgetting he got horrendously carsick- refused to do this. Dorian refused to do anything to do with a ferry. In the end they decided to get a plane but Iron Bull would get to rent a car that looked as close to his Jeep as possible, they picked the car up next to Ansburg airport and were driving the rest of the way. They estimated it should only take a few hours, and Sera, Ataashi and Dagna weren't going to be in Ostwick until a few days after. They had decided to take Kaeto's idea and do a road trip from Orlais to Ostwick, they were going to spend some time in a few cities along the way. Kaeto was jealous but he decided that he really was just to lazy to organise the whole thing anyway. Kaeto was laid across the back three seats, curled up, pale, shaking and trying not to be sick. Dorian was sat in the front passenger seat, quiet with anxiety and Iron Bull was driving... Anxiety causing him to get very irritable towards other drivers. 

"How're you doing back there, Kadan?" Iron Bull asked, attempting not to sound worried. He knew he shouldn't be, this happened whenever they drove Kaeto anywhere but that didn't stop him being worried. 

"I-i'm okay, can we stop soon?" Kaeto responded wheezily, closing his eyes and trying not to focus on the fact that they were moving. 

"Uh, well," Iron Bull hesitated looking out on the motorway in front of them. "There's a service station in about ten miles, but not until then, should be there in about," he flashed a look at the speedometer. "10 minutes?" Kaeto groaned in response. "Sorry Kadan," Bull said flashing a reassuring smile in the rear-view mirror. 

"Amatus," Dorian said twisting his body round and placing his head in the gap between the passenger seats. "How long have your family lived here for? Aren't you from Antiva." 

"Si, we moved here when I was about fifteen, so about eleven years ago," Kaeto replied groggily, appreciating Dorian's attempt at a distraction. 

"And," Dorian furrowed his brow as he attempted to remember. "Kamali is your mother, Karaas is your father, your older sister is Marjani, your younger sister is Neela and your younger brother is Soren right?" 

"Well done, amor," Kaeto said with a hint of a smile. 

"And... Your family, they don't hate Tevinters right?" Dorian asked nervously. Kaeto almost laughed but coughed instead. 

"No, they don't. Don't worry amor, they know your from Tevinter and they still can't wait to meet you." 

"Do they uh," Iron Bull said suddenly chiming in. "Well, how are they about, you know- Qunari spies." Kaeto groaned again as he attempted to get comfortable across the three seats in a position that would also cater to his horns... He was failing. 

"Well, you're a Tal Vashoth now," Kaeto pointed out. 

"Yeah, but you know what I mean," Iron Bull replied a little indignantly. 

"You're Tal Vashoth, they won't care. And it's like I've told them the rest." 

"What?" Iron Bull said, almost turning round but thinking better of it so settling for a look in the rear-view mirror. 

"Well, they've both got a bit of a ... history with the Ben-Hassarath. A rather interrogatory, torture-y, history. I thought it was best not to mention it," Kaeto hesitated. "Plus, papá's a little paranoid about these things so... It's probably best he doesn't know." Iron Bull retreated into a stony silence for a few minutes before announcing that they had reached the service station. Kaeto weakly sat up and Iron Bull (who got out of the large Jeep a lot quicker than Dorian did, swung open Kaeto's door to let him crawl out and get some air whilst he, body aching, sat up and managed to get out of the car. As soon as he stood up he felt dizzy, Iron Bull noting that he looked unsteady, gently rested his hands on his shoulders. 

"You okay, Kadan?" He asked uneasily, still annoyed but realising his Kadan's health was more important. 

"Just travel sickness and the sudden standing up, he'll be okay," Dorian said suddenly behind Iron Bull. "Want some water, Amatus?" Kaeto nodded in response. "Do you think you could eat anything?" He shook his head. 

"Do you want to lie down with the door open whilst one of goes gets some water?" Iron Bull asked, letting go of his left shoulder and using his left hand to stroke his dreadlocks. Kaeto nodded and pulled himself back into the Jeep and laid down on the back seats. Iron Bull turned to Dorian leaving the door open. 

"Why don't you go and I'll stay here and make sure he's okay?" Iron Bull suggested, leaving the 'I don't feel like being followed around in case I steal something' unsaid. Dorian nodded and wandered off inside the service station. Iron Bull paced up and down beside the car taking this oppurtuinity to stretch, he was just realising how sore his limbs were from being hunched into a car. "So, you didn't tell your parents about-" 

"Oh Maker, Bull," Kaeto groaned. "My papá still gets flashbacks and nightmares about what the Ben-Hassarath did to him, I just want him to like you and I want to protect him, okay?" Bull's muscles visibly relaxed, and gently rested his hand against Kaeto's shin. 

"Okay, I-" Bull paused, suddenly feeling like the world's worst boyfriend. "I'm sorry I didn't realise. It's fine, really," he finished. Kaeto recognised that tone, it screamed repressed feelings and he thought he might know what they were. He pushed his head up to look at him as they spoke.

"Corazón, I'm not hiding you from them. I've told them all about you, I won't stop going on about you and Dorian. To be honest, I never even had to hide it because what you did in Seheron and Par Vollen has never come up. I told them you used to live there and came over, they didn't ask anything else. I mean, I wouldn't have told them anyway but it's just that. They know everything else? I'm sorry," Kaeto said letting his head fall back onto the cream leather seat. Iron Bull gave his shin a reassuring squeeze and smile. 

"Thanks, Kadan," he replied. "I understand and... Thanks." Kaeto felt his head steady and cautiously sat up, he turned to Bull and smiled sadly. 

"If you want, I can tell my mamá. She grew up in Rivain and never really-" Kaeto paused, not knowing how to explain further. "Well, she escaped the Qun a lot easier than papá did. If I tell her, she'll know how best to broach the subject with him." 

"You don't have to-" 

"I want to," Kaeto interrupted. Bull smiled and reached his hand out to stroke the side of his face. 

"Thank you, Kadan," he said quietly. As much as Bull resented having feelings that he couldn't just drink away since he left the Qun, he had to admit that Kaeto and Dorian were both really great and helping him through it. Kaeto pulled himself over to Bull, wrapped his arms around neck and lowered his head into his chest. Bull smiled, kissed the top of his head and stroked his dreadlocks. 

"I'm sorry," Kaeto whispered again. Bull chuckled. 

"Hey, Kadan; it's fine, really," Bull said reassuringly, continuously stroking his hair. "And, don't worry, you won't have to put up with the drive much longer. In 20 miles we'll be taking our turn off the motorway and then it's just 40 minutes to get to your parents' place," Bull paused for a moment. "And we can take as many breaks as you like." Kaeto nodded into Bull's chest. "Do you think you'll throw up?" Kaeto shrugged. He felt like he might but he'd been feeling like that the entire trip and he hadn't yet so it might not happen. "Don't worry if you do okay?" He added kissing the top of his head again. Kaeto's eyes started to sting as past abuse memories filled his mind and nodded. He felt pathetic for a moment and like he didn't deserve Bull or Dorian. He kept thinking about how it was such a stupid thing to be upset about and they shouldn't cater to him. 

"How're you feeling, Amatus?" Dorian said, appearing by Bull's side with a bottle of water wrapping his arm around Kaeto's shoulders. 

"A bit better, head's stopped spinning," Kaeto mumbled, thanking Dorian as he took the water and started sipping at it slowly. 

"I can drive the rest of the way if you like Kadan?" Dorian offered. Bull chuckled, Dorian was terrible in the Jeep. Anything bigger than his mercedes made his driving skills go dramatically downhill. 

"Nah, I'm fine," Bull said not pointing out the obvious. 

"Would you uh-" Kaeto started, leaning back out of both of their arms."Would you mind sitting in the back with me?" He asked sounding like a child. "I'd just feel better if-" He stopped, he wasn't really sure where he was going here. 

"Of course!" Dorian smiled. "No need to explain. Being sick by yourself is miserable... No throwing up on this shirt though, it's Armani," he finished jokingly. As they both piled into the back, Bull walked over to the driver's side. Kaeto rested his head in Dorian's lap, almost mastering how to make his horns fit comfortable for both of them - head tilted so the left horn is in between Dorian's knees, that way his right horn sticks up and doesn't stick into Dorian. As Bull set off and Kaeto groaned a little, Dorian stroked his hair and leaned down to whisper "Just teasing you about the shirt thing, don't worry." Kaeto smiled, he did understand but he appreciated the thought nonetheless. 

After 30 minutes they left the motorway and when they started to slow down, Kaeto started to perk up a little. He also started to feel a little excited, he hadn't been home in quite a long time. He actually felt able to sit up in the car and sat up weakly as he held Dorian's hand. "Hey, Kadan," both Dorian and Kaeto looked up. "Uh, Kaeto-Kadan," Bull specified. "Do you know where to go from here?" Kaeto leaned between the seats. 

"Yes! It's fairly easy follow this road," He said pointing forwards. "Until it splits into two, then take a right, when you drive over a bridge, take an immediate right up the hill. Then I'll tell you when we get there." Bull stared at him for a second. 

"Sure, I'm sure I can remember all that."

"I'll remind you as we go," Kaeto replied falling back into the seat. As the feeling of sickness faded as the driving got slower and the roads straighter, the reminder of what was actually happening was sinking in... He'd never really introduced a partner to his parents before, never mind two. He was sure they'd like them but he suddenly found himself getting very anxious about the thought of it going well. He started to understand where Dorian and Bull were coming from. "It'll all be fine," Kaeto said suddenly. 

"I didn't say it wouldn't," Dorian replied, a little confused. 

"I'm telling myself," Kaeto replied looking forward as his throat tightened a little bit. "You're not the only one whose anxious, y'know."


End file.
